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accommodations
We have secured accommodations for you Thursday and Friday nights (May 16-17) at either the Courtyard Marriott or the Moxy Memphis, adjacent downtown Memphis hotel properties.
You should have received hotel information and your confirmation number in your email inbox on Tuesday, May 7. If you have a Marriott Bonvoy account, it should also show there.
Shuttle transportation will be provided to and from the hotels/Liberty Park (event site). Shuttle pickups & dropoffs will happen in the hotels’ shared driveway and will be indicated by an A-Frame sign.
Transportation
For transportation to and from Memphis International Airport, we recommend Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Memphis has surprisingly few rideshare options given its size, so it might be easier to hail a taxi than to schedule an Uber on a notoriously busy weekend.
Transportation to and from all official events will be run by EventOps, primarily via shuttle buses. Signage will be located in the hotel lobby to indicate pickup/drop-off sites (our 2 hotels share a driveway and loading zone), and there will be an EventOps staff member on hand to help facilitate. All vehicles will have credentials clearly displayed.
Weather
The predicted high during Memphis in May is 82°, and the average low is 62°; however, the exact weather is notoriously unpredictable this time of year. There is typically a chance of a late spring rain shower, and the humidity can be quite high.
suggested dress
Comfort and adaptability will be key. This year, the WCBCC is taking place in Liberty Park, much of which is tailgating sites and parking for the University of Memphis Tigers’ Liberty Bowl Stadium. The Cattlemen’s & Grill Mates tent space will be situated on asphalt, but do not wear your finest shoes! Temperatures should be warm but not unbearable; there will be ample fans and misters in and around the hospitality suite. Definitely bring a rain jacket just in case.
The hotels are within walking distance to some but not all downtown restaurants and bars. Walking extensive distances alone at night is not advised for safety reasons, but you may want to wear comfortable shoes after hours to more easily walk from place to place. Ride shares can sometimes be limited in Memphis, and downtown is expected to be quite busy this weekend.
Credentials
You will need a pass at all times to access the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and you will need further credentials to gain entry into the Cattlemen’s & Grill Mates hospitality suite.
Credentials will be available for pickup starting at 12pm Thursday in a reserved room just off the lobby of the Courtyard Memphis Downtown. If you’re staying at the Moxy, the Courtyard is the adjacent property.
If you need credentials prior to this time, someone from McCormick will be in touch to coordinate.
Schedule
For a detailed schedule of the weekend’s events, please navigate to the Schedule page.
Questions?
Your dedicated event concierge phone number, provided by our onsite event partner EventOps, is: (901) 509-7763. Text is best. We’re here for you if you get turned around, have airport troubles, or even if you just need help knowing what to do next.
You may also email EventOps with any inquiries you may have, but please note that the week of the event texting may receive faster responses.